Breaking AI & Tech News Analyzed

The US Department of Justice has charged three people, including a co-founder of Super Micro Computer, with helping to smuggle at least $2.5 billion worth of US AI technology to China. The indictment alleges a complex scheme to send US-made servers through Taiwan to other countries in Southeast Asia, where they were swapped into unmarked boxes and sent on to China.The defendants, Yih-Shyan Liaw, Ruei-Tsang Chang, and Ting-Wei Sun, are accused of using fabricated documents and staged bogus equipment to pass audit inventories, and a pass-through company to conceal their misconduct and true clientele list.The US has had export restrictions on China for advanced AI chips since 2022. Nvidia, which dominates the market for AI chips, has stated that strict compliance with export laws is a top priority.Liaw, 71, was arrested in California and released on bail, while Sun, 44, a company contractor, was held for a bail hearing. Chang remains a fugitive. Super Micro's shares fell 8 percent in after-hours trading following the news.

Oil prices are continuing to rise as markets see no end in sight to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The critical waterway, which usually transports about one-fifth of the global oil supply, has been brought to a standstill by Iran in retaliation for US and Israeli strikes on the country.Brent crude, the most important benchmark for global prices, rose as much as 3 percent on Sunday to top $106 a barrel, before easing slightly early on Monday to $104.63 a barrel, up nearly 1.5 percent. This represents a more than 40 percent increase in global oil prices since the start of the war.US President Donald Trump has called on other countries to help Washington reopen the Strait, but his proposal has received a muted response. None of the countries he appealed to by name – including China, Japan, France, and the UK – have publicly committed to deploying their navies to secure the strait. Japan and Australia have both stated they have no plans to send ships to the critical waterway.The closure of the strait has resulted in what the International Energy Agency has called the largest disruption to global energy supplies in history. According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre, no more than five ships have passed through the strait each day since the start of the war, compared with a historical average of 138 daily transits. At least 16 commercial vessels have been attacked in the region since the war began on February 28.Trump has repeatedly stated he is willing to deploy the US Navy to escort commercial shipping through the strait if necessary. However, Trump administration officials have said that warships will not be deployed to the waterway until Tehran's military capacity has been further degraded.

The world is currently experiencing a severe energy crisis, surpassing the combined impact of the 1970s oil shocks and the Ukraine war, according to Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA). Speaking at a media event in Australia, Birol warned that the energy crunch prompted by the US-Israel war on Iran has exceeded the 1973 and 1979 oil shocks and gas shortages stemming from Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.Birol stated that the crisis is equivalent to two oil crises and one gas crash combined. He noted that the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on energy facilities have reduced global oil supplies by about 11 million barrels per day (bpd), more than double the combined shortfalls of the 1970s crises. Additionally, liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies have been reduced by about 140 billion cubic meters, compared to a shortfall of 75bcm in the aftermath of Ukraine's invasion by Russia.At least 40 energy facilities across nine countries have been severely damaged in the conflict, according to the IEA chief. Birol emphasized that the global economy is facing a major threat and expressed hope that the issue will be resolved soon.Birol also expressed concern that the scale of the crisis had not been fully understood, which prompted him to speak publicly about the situation. The IEA has proposed measures to reduce energy consumption, including facilitating remote working and carpooling, and lowering speed limits on motorways.The IEA chief is in consultation with different countries about releasing more strategic oil reserves if needed. However, he emphasized that the single most important solution to the crisis is to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, which usually carries about one-fifth of global oil and LNG supplies.

Israeli settlers carried out coordinated attacks on multiple towns and villages in the occupied West Bank for the second consecutive night, resulting in at least nine Palestinian injuries. The violence took place during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, marking the end of Ramadan.In one incident, a 45-year-old man was shot in the foot during a confrontation with Israeli settlers in Deir al-Hatab, east of Nablus. The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported that a 47-year-old Palestinian man was attacked by settlers in Jabal al-Arma in Beita, while others were beaten.The attacks were widespread, with homes and cars set ablaze and property vandalized across the occupied West Bank. Simultaneous assaults occurred in at least six communities, including villages near Jenin and Nablus.The violence followed a funeral for 18-year-old Yehuda Sherman, an Israeli settler killed in a collision with a Palestinian vehicle. Israeli police are investigating claims that the collision was deliberate.The Israeli government's expansion of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank has been met with international criticism. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that 25 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers and soldiers so far this year.Amnesty International condemned the expansion of illegal settlements and state-backed settler violence, calling it a "direct indictment of the international community's catastrophic failure" to take action. The International Court of Justice ruled in 2024 that Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and should end "as rapidly as possible".

At least two people have been killed in a tragic incident involving an Air Canada Express flight that struck a ground vehicle while landing at New York's LaGuardia Airport. The accident occurred on Sunday night, and the airport has been closed since then, with flights diverted to other airports. The aircraft, operated by Jazz Aviation, a regional partner of Air Canada, collided with a firefighting truck on Runway 4 at approximately 11:40 pm on Sunday (03:40 GMT on Monday). The vehicle was driving to respond to a separate incident. According to the Port Authority, 32 of the 41 injured individuals had been released by Monday, while nine remained hospitalized with serious injuries. The passengers and crew members on board Flight AC8646, which departed from Montreal, included 76 people, four of whom were crew members. The CRJ-900 aircraft struck the vehicle at a relatively low speed of 39 kilometers per hour (24 miles per hour). Emergency response protocols were immediately activated, and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a ground stop for all departures to LaGuardia. The National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched a 'go team' to investigate the collision. The incident has caused significant disruptions, with arriving planes being diverted to other airports or returning to their point of origin. New York's Emergency Management has warned of potential cancellations, road closures, traffic delays, and emergency personnel presence near the airport. LaGuardia Airport, which served 33.5 million passengers in 2024, has been experiencing flight disruptions due to poor weather and staffing impacts from a federal funding lapse.

The military campaign launched by the United States and Israel against Iran has entered its 24th day, bringing the region to a precarious juncture. As US President Donald Trump’s 48-hour ultimatum for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz approaches its expiration at 23:44 GMT on Monday, Tehran has issued stern warnings regarding the potential targeting of its electricity grid. In response, Iran has vowed to strike the energy and water systems of its Gulf neighbors, raising fears of a broader regional energy crisis.The conflict is already having tangible repercussions on the global economy. Financial markets are reacting sharply to the escalating tensions, with stocks in China and Hong Kong on track for their worst performance in nearly a year. The uncertainty has fueled stagflation fears, prompting UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to convene an emergency meeting to address the mounting economic fallout.In Iran, the situation remains volatile. The Israeli military has conducted a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure across Tehran, resulting in powerful explosions reported in the central, southern, and eastern parts of the capital. Verified footage shows massive columns of fire and smoke rising over Karaj following an air attack. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has retaliated by threatening attacks on power plants in Israel and those supplying electricity to US bases, while also targeting a turbine engine production site in Qom used for drone components.The conflict has also spilled over into Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence confirmed that two ballistic missiles were launched toward Riyadh, with one intercepted and the other falling in an uninhabited area. The UAE reported debris injuries in the al-Shawamekh area, while Bahrain confirmed attacks on the US Fifth Fleet. In Qatar, seven people were killed in a helicopter crash, and Kuwait has formally protested airspace violations to the International Civil Aviation Organization.The human toll continues to rise. In Israel, alerts were triggered across Jerusalem and central Israel following explosions, with the casualty toll from attacks on Dimona and Arad climbing to at least 180 injured. In Lebanon, authorities report that at least 1,029 people have been killed since March 2, with over 100 of the victims being children. In Iraq, at least 60 people have been killed, primarily among pro-Iran Popular Mobilisation Forces.

Iran has reportedly claimed to have downed a US F-35 fighter jet during a combat mission, a development that could challenge the aircraft's reputation as 'unkillable'. According to sources familiar with the matter, the incident occurred last week when the F-35 made an emergency landing at an airbase in the Middle East. The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a statement saying it had targeted a US aircraft, and Iran's semiofficial Tasnim news agency released military footage purporting to show Tehran's air defence systems hitting a US F-35 stealth fighter. The F-35, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, is considered the cornerstone of Washington's aerial firepower, boasting advanced stealth technology, sensors, and high-speed computing. Its ability to gather and share data from a 360-degree camera suite and other sensors makes it a formidable asset in modern warfare. If confirmed, this would be the first time an F-35 has been struck by Iran during the ongoing conflict. Defence experts emphasize that even if the claims are true, it does not necessarily mean stealth technology is becoming obsolete, but rather that even advanced aircraft like the F-35 are not invulnerable in a dense, adaptive air-defence environment. The incident is under investigation, with the US military's Central Command stating that the pilot was in stable condition after the emergency landing. The US has not yet confirmed that the F-35 was hit by Iranian fire, with President Donald Trump stating, “We’re flying wherever we want. Nobody is even shooting at us.” This development comes amid heightened tensions between the US and Iran, with at least 13 US service members killed and roughly 200 wounded during combat operations against Iran. In Iran, at least 1,444 people have been killed and 18,551 injured since the start of the conflict.

Israel and the United States have launched a new wave of attacks against Iran, escalating the conflict in the region. The Israeli military confirmed that it carried out a second round of strikes, hours after initiating a wide-scale wave of attacks on infrastructure targets in Tehran. Al Jazeera Arabic's correspondent in Tehran reported that the size and volume of the explosions in the Iranian capital were unprecedented, especially on the eastern side of the city. Iranian air defense systems were activated in response to US-Israeli drones hovering over the city. According to Mohamad Elmasry of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, the war is escalating, with US and Israeli forces hitting not only military installations but also hospitals, schools, and over 5,000 residential units. He warned that the situation is becoming increasingly dangerous, especially for the people of Iran. Iran's Fars news agency reported that a strike on a residential building in Khorramabad killed one child and wounded several people, while at least six people were killed in strikes on homes in Tabriz city. The Iranian Red Crescent Society stated that over 80,000 civilian building units have been hit, with some fully demolished. The US military targeted a turbine engine production site in Qom province, used for drone and aircraft components linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Meanwhile, Iranian missile strikes continued overnight in Israel, with falling shrapnel reported across several locations. Iran's Foreign Ministry denied any dialogue with the US, claiming that President Trump's comments aimed to reduce energy prices and buy time to implement military plans. The IRGC warned that if the US targets Iran's power plants, it will hit power plants in areas supplying electricity to US bases and American interests. The conflict has resulted in over 1,500 deaths in Iran and 15 deaths in Israel. The situation has also unsettled oil markets, with prices fluctuating as Asian trading opened. The head of the International Energy Agency warned that the situation in the Middle East is very severe and worse than the two energy crises of the 1970s combined.

The global energy crisis caused by the war in Iran and the fallout from the Ukraine conflict is equivalent to the combined force of the twin oil shocks of the 1970s, according to the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA).Fatih Birol, the IEA's executive director, warned that the growing fallout could be seriously compounded by interruptions to the 'vital arteries of the global economy', including petrochemicals, fertilisers, sulphur, and helium.The crisis, which started with bombings against the regime in Tehran on 28 February, already represents the loss of 11m barrels of oil per day and about 140 bcm of gas. This is comparable to the losses seen in the 1973 and 1979 oil crises, which saw a loss of about 5m barrels of oil per day each, and Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which removed about 75bn cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas from international markets.Birol said that at least 40 energy assets in the Gulf region had been severely or very severely damaged, so even an end to the conflict would not immediately restore energy supply. He also noted that the Asia Pacific region had been badly affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world's oil supply is transported.The IEA has taken emergency measures, including the release of 400m barrels of oil from strategic reserves, the largest emergency measure in its history. Birol said he is consulting world leaders about another possible release of emergency oil supply, noting that the initial move was only 20% of overall stocks.